


six times thomas reached in his pocket and one time he picked up a pen

by rita5



Series: frankie-verse [2]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Established Relationship, Kid Fic, M/M, True Love, proposal, tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-22
Updated: 2017-04-22
Packaged: 2018-10-22 09:33:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10694277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rita5/pseuds/rita5
Summary: part oneaka the proposalthomas doesn't know if frankie can keep a secret(part two: the letter & part three: the wedding coming soon)





	six times thomas reached in his pocket and one time he picked up a pen

**Author's Note:**

> if you haven't read my fic 'frankie' it's not necessary to read before this one but you might enjoy it!
> 
> this idea wouldn't leave my head for days so here it is pls enjoy
> 
> pst stay tuned for the next two parts of this xoxo

It was the day before their sixth anniversary.

Thomas was scared out of his mind.

He'd taken Eliza to the jewelry store in hopes that she would be able to help pick something Alex would like, but in the end, he chose the ring without her. It was a small bronze band with some blue stone inside, nothing extravagant or expensive, which Thomas knew was exactly what Alex wanted. He considered bringing Frankie to pick out a ring but she had only just turned seven and she had a mouth on her that could rival both her fathers. Thomas didn't know if she could be trusted to keep a secret longer than a few hours. Not that Frankie would intentionally ruin Thomas' plans - she just forgot when she wasn't supposed to say something. She was like Alexander in that way. Her words came out faster than her brain could keep up and by the time she remembered what was appropriate to share and what wasn't, it was already too late.

Then there was little Charles. Just thinking about his sweet, pudgy face made Thomas' heart flutter. He was in denial that his baby was already going on a year old, in fact, Charles' birthday was a week after his and Alexander's anniversary. The signs of toddlerhood were already becoming apparent on the little boy's face. His once chunky cheeks were slimming out as his face got longer, more child-like. Frankie had always been slightly on the slender side so it only seemed right that their second baby would be a giant. Charles had rolls for days on his arms, legs, and belly. Alexander's favorite thing to do was lay him down and chomp on his stomach, making Charles do that wild, high pitched baby cackle that caused Frankie and Thomas to giggle, too. Charles was a pretty happy baby, even compared to Frankie's permanent good nature. Thomas didn't make a habit of comparing his kids, but it was hard not to. He knew they were both individuals and he wanted to encourage them to be exactly as they were. 

Thomas was getting off track, like he always did when thinking about Frankie and Charles. Frankie was in school and Charles in daycare, Thomas was in a cab with Eliza, a box from the jewelry store burning a hole through his pocket. He tried to calm his nerves but it was useless. He knew, of course, Alexander would say yes. But.. would he? What if Alex wasn't ready for that kind of commitment? Thomas scolded himself, of course Alex was committed, they were raising two children together and had been for SIX YEARS. Still.

The cab stopped in front of Charles' daycare - the one Frankie went to as a baby. He was finally in Angelica's class with the other walkers and crawlers. When the babies got mobile, they got moved up a class, and Charles took his sweet time getting there. He didn't crawl or scoot, he seemed to realize that as long as he refused to move, somebody would hold him, and he loved being held. He would curl up on Alex's chest with one arm wrapped around his beloved stuffed llama, ratty and worn from seven years of being dragged everywhere. Frankie liked to cuddle into Alex's side and tangle a hand in his hair, much like how Thomas was so fond of doing, and Thomas would feel his heart melting in his chest. He loved to watch Alex snuggle with the kids almost as much as he loved joining in on the fun.

Eliza elbowed Thomas and he realized he was still sitting in the cab instead of retrieving his child. He cleared his throat and opened the car door, climbing out and walking ten or so steps to the front of the daycare. He was greeted warmly by Peggy at the front desk and just as warmly by Angelica when he reached the classroom.

"Thomas! Charles, look, Papa's here." Charles' head whipped around and he screeched, drool flying out of his mouth in typical baby fashion. Thomas grinned and kneeled down in the doorway, holding his arms out for Charles to run into. Or, walk into. He was taking wobbly steps - mostly thanks to Frankie guiding him around the house hand in hand - but he was a long way from being able to run and play. Thomas wasn't worried about it, he wrapped both arms around Charles when he finally made it to the door and buried his face in Charles' soft, blonde hair. It was already long enough that sometimes, Alex or Thomas had to clip it to the side in the morning because otherwise it'd be in his face all day.

Charles babbled his nonsensical baby talk and held on tightly to Thomas as he stood up. Thomas accepted Charles' rainbow backpack from Angelica with a murmured thanks and a kiss on the cheek. He slung the backpack over his shoulder, shifted Charles to one arm, and signed him out with the other.

"So, tomorrow's the big day, huh?" Thomas eyed Angelica as he scribbled his name on the clipboard. 

"How'd you know?"

Angelica shrugged. "I have my ways. Also, you took my sister ring shopping today."

"Ahh. Yeah. Tomorrow." Thomas took a deep breath. Even thinking about what he was about to do brought shivers down his spine. He and Alex had been a couple for so many years, it seemed. They had all kind of discussions about adopting a baby, how was that any less serious than a marriage proposal?

"What are you so afraid of?" Angelica said sternly, reading Thomas' mind in that way only she could do. Thomas set the pen down and straightened his back. Charles' face was still nestled in his neck. His soft, soothing puffs of breath steadied Thomas enough to answer.

"I don't know." He admitted, using his free hand to run through his hair. His fingers got stuck halfway through so he ended up extracting his fingers and stuffing his hand in his pocket for lack of anything else to do. When Thomas glanced up, Angelica was watching him like a hawk, the look complete with both hands on her hips and a baby crawling up her leg.

"I guess I'm just nervous about what I should say. What if I sound cheesy and he hates it?" Thomas averted his gaze to the floor and Angelica sighed sympathetically.

"Just speak from the heart. If you're honest, he'll know and he'll love anything you have to say." Thomas looked up again when two skinny arms wrapped around him and Charles. He leaned into the embrace and let the smell of Angelica's rose perfume calm him down. When Angelica finally pulled away, her eyes were wet with tears. She stroked a hand along Thomas' jaw and Thomas wondered how there ever could have been a time where he was jealous of Angelica's relationship with Alexander.

"Thanks Ang. We love you."

"I love you too, you idiots." Angelica sniffed, "I don't know how you haven't tied the knot already, you two are obviously crazy in love."

Thomas took her hand and chuckled, a wet noise in the back of his throat, then realized he was crying, too.

"I just remembered I don't have a carseat and I left Eliza alone in the back of a cab. I gotta go." Angelica laughed and shooed him away.

"Get out of here! And call me tomorrow so I can congratulate you properly!"

Thomas grinned and reached in his pocket.

A few hours later, Eliza had gone home and Thomas was sitting on the sidewalk in front of his house, watching Charles toddle around the yard. He changed from his work clothes into shorts and a t-shirt so he could bask comfortably in the sun. Frankie's bus was late, but that was no surprise. Thomas had yet to hear about a school where the buses ran early and every kid got home at the same time every day. Sometimes it was annoying to wait outside with a whiny toddler, but not today. Thomas was content to watch Charles roam the grass, the afternoon sun making his hair glow like a halo. Occasionally, Charles would find a flower, which he plucked with as much precision as a one year old's chubby fingers could manage, and he would hold it up and shriek until Thomas complimented his flower picking skills.

Eventually, the low hiss of brakes alerted Thomas that the bus was finally at the stop, so he scooped Charles up and jogged a few yards down the street.

Frankie hopped off the bus with a piece of construction paper in one hand and a Junie B. Jones book tucked under her arm. She turned around as soon as she reached the sidewalk and waved frantically at the bus driver until the bus was down the street and out of sight.

"Hey, sweet girl." Thomas grinned down at Frankie, who beamed up at him.

"Hi. I missed you at school, Papa." She lunged at him and wrapped her skinny arms around his torso. Charles squealed his hello and Thomas rubbed Frankie's back with his free hand until she let go.

"I missed you too!" Thomas chuckled. Even though she'd been in school for years and in daycare years before that, he still thought about her every day. He kept one hand on Frankie's back and guided her to the sidewalk leading up to their house, all while she chatted animatedly about her drawing.

"And you and me have brown skin and Baby Charles has white skin, but it didn't show up very well on the paper so I had to use, like, a light yellow crayon. And Daddy has brown skin, too, but a different brown. It's kind of white-ish and gray-ish. Also, we have ten cats." That stopped Thomas in his tracks just as they reached the front door.

"Ten cats?" Frankie nodded seriously and wiggled the doorknob until it opened.

"Ten cats. Also, I want a cat for my birthday." Thomas internally groaned and immediately wished Alex was home because he could come up with a hundred reasons why they did not need a cat right on the spot.

"Frankie, you just had a birthday." Frankie waltzed into the living room and tossed her backpack on the couch before toeing off her sneakers in the middle of the living room. She paid Thomas no mind, ignoring his statement and making her way into the kitchen to pin her art on the fridge. Sure enough, the paper had two normal stick figures - an absurdly tall one for Thomas, a shorter one with scribbled black hair for Alex, and two mini stick figures, one with brown hair and one with yellow. There were also ten cats in a row lining the bottom of the page, all drawn in mostly circles and all facing the same direction, like a herd of elephants following each other.

"I think I'll probably name my cat something cute, like Junie B. Jones." She announced, spinning back around and marching right back out of the kitchen before Thomas even had a chance to follow her. She was a whirlwind.

"You're going to name your cat after a book character? And you're not getting a cat!" Thomas met Frankie's glare with a look of his own.

"You named me after a country." Frankie deadpanned.

"I named you before I knew what Frances meant!" Thomas spluttered, irked that his own daughter pulled one over on him.

"It's literally in the name!" Frankie shouted back, folding her arms across her chest. Thomas groaned and set a wiggling Charles on the ground. He stood up and took a few shaky steps until he collapsed on the floor in front of Frankie. Thomas gasped.

"Charles! You're seriously going to take her side?!" That got Frankie to break; she cracked a smile and aimed it down at Charles, who smiled right back.

"He wants a cat, too, Pop."

"He's a baby."

"Babies have feelings, too."

"I swear, you're just like your father. I could go back and forth with you all day and never get anywhere." Thomas threw his hands up in exasperation and remembered at that moment what he'd been waiting to tell Frankie all day.

"Oooooooh, Frances, have I got some news for you." The use of her full name got Frankie's attention. That was her first clue that something was up. Her head snapped up to look at Thomas, curls bouncing in the twists Alex did in her hair that morning.

"What's going on?"

Thomas grinned and reached in his pocket.

It was the kids' bedtime. Alex was tucking Frankie in while Thomas gave Charles a bottle, then they would switch and Thomas would say a prayer with Frankie while Alex laid Charles down in a tiny crib near their bed. Thomas was honestly shocked at how well Frankie kept her mouth shut the whole night. He saw her struggling a few times during dinner, she would open her mouth to say something to Alex, then snap it closed again. Luckily, Alex didn't seem to notice anything was off. He spent most of dinner babbling about something work related that Thomas could hardly follow, but he nodded and made the right hums at the right time to satisfy his boyfriend. Almost fiancee. Or maybe not. Fuck.

Thomas kissed Charles' forehead and twisted the empty bottle out of his mouth. He and Alex had the routine down pat - they met halfway between Frankie's room and their room for the handoff, Thomas would slip Charles into Alex's arms, give him a peck on the lips, then go around him and into Frankie's room. This night was no different, except that it occurred to Thomas a few seconds before he handed Charles off that this might be the last night they ever did things this way. The next time they put the kids to bed, they would either be engaged or extremely awkward. So, when Alex walked through the doorway out of Frankie's room, Thomas balanced Charles in one arm - not an easy feat - and used his other hand to grab Alex by the chin. That caught him off guard, causing Alex's mouth to drop open and providing the perfect opportunity for Thomas to kiss him deeply, inching his way past Alexander's lips and reintroducing their tongues. It wasn't often that they kissed like this, not with two kids and two full time jobs. They always found time for quick kisses before work or bed, but this was something different. It reminded Thomas of that passion that was always present in their relationship - even when they spent every waking moment arguing with each other. Alexander gasped into Thomas' mouth and Thomas swallowed it whole. They broke apart a good ten seconds later, both of them panting for breath.

"What was that for?" Alex whispered, eyes shining as he met Thomas' gaze.

"I don't know. I just love you." Thomas answered honestly, leaning forward so their noses bumped. Alexander smiled and pressed another kiss to Thomas' lips, then Charles babbled below them to let them know he was getting tired of this game of hallway limbo. Thomas chuckled and held Charles out so Alex could get a good hold on him, then pecked one more kiss to the corner of Alex's mouth before darting into Frankie's room.

When both kids were asleep and all the lights in the house were off except the lamp on Alexander's side of the bed, Thomas climbed in next to Alex and wrapped his limbs around Alex's body. Alex folded the corner of his book and set it on the bedside table before taking his glasses of and scooting down into Thomas' embrace.

"What's happening?" Alex murmured into Thomas' cheek.

"I love you." Thomas whispered back, thinking he could not possibly mean it any more than he did at that moment, so how was he supposed to say it on one knee tomorrow?

"I love you more." Alex argued only halfheartedly, his groggy, overworked brain already succumbing to sleep. He blinked owlishly at Thomas, their faces close enough together that his eyelashes brushed Thomas' cheek on the way down.

"I love you most." Thomas answered, as always. Alexander's sleepy smile was worth every argument they could ever have, Thomas thought. Wait. That was a good line. Thomas was suddenly wide awake. His companion, however, was already drifting off. Alex struggled to keep his eyes open even though not five minutes ago he was rereading the Princess Bride. Thomas inhaled on Alex's next exhale, savoring the exact moment when Alex fell asleep. He never wanted to forget. And, there it was again, another honest thought crossing Thomas' mind that sounded straight out of a poetry book. Thomas knew what he had to do. He shuffled slightly, loosening Alex's grip enough that he could wriggle out. He rolled off the bed and started searching for one of Alexander's pens, along with a sheet of paper that didn't have Alex's wild chicken scratch scrawled all over it. Once he acquired those things, Thomas sat back down on the bed, stared at Alexander's sleeping face, and started to write.

The day of their anniversary was a Saturday, luckily for Thomas. He and Alex decided to lay low this year instead of going all out. For their five year anniversary, they'd gone on a three day cruise with Frankie as one last hurrah before baby Charles made his way into the world a week later. This year, Charles was having a big first birthday bash but Thomas figured he wouldn't remember anything anyway, so this was the perfect year for an engagement. If someone asked Thomas exactly why he decided to propose that year, he wouldn't have an answer. He'd known for years that he wanted to marry Alexander. Not a lot of people have those moments where they look at the person they love and realize they could spend the rest of their lives together. Thomas was lucky enough to have one of those rare moments.

Frankie was three years old and an absolute terror. When she talked, she spoke so fast that no one could understand her, and that made her frustrated, and that made her throw tantrums. She was going through a phase where she thought it was hilarious to run away from Thomas or Alex in public so when they took her out, they had to strap her in a stroller, which she hated, or carry her, which she also hated. There were a few months from this time that were just a blur in Thomas' memory, thanks to stress and sleep deprivation, but there was one day that he remembered in complete clarity.

Thomas had to work late, which meant Alex had to pick up Frankie from daycare, feed her and give her a bath before bed. Her bedtime was between 7:30pm and 8pm, but it never worked out that way. She would wake up in the middle of the night and get into stuff like papers from Alex's binder, pots and pans in the kitchen, and Thomas' hair supplies. Thomas didn't expect Frankie to be in bed when he got home after 8 o'clock, but he also didn't anticipate that he would forget his house key. He'd made it to the front door, reached in his pocket, and came back empty-handed.

Everybody knows when you have a child, there will always be a time when you just got the kid to bed and somebody knocks on the door or the phone rings and your child wakes up crying. It's a fact of life, it'll happen at least once to every parent. Thomas hoped that today wouldn't be that day because all he wanted was to lay down and sleep without the sound of Frankie's exaggerated crying in his ear.

Thomas knocked on his front door. More than two minutes later, the door swung open and revealed Alex, wearing a pair of Thomas' boxers that hung low, exposing his hipbones, and his button up work shirt with the sleeves loose and folded up to his elbows. The first two buttons of his shirt were undone so Thomas could just see the sparse hair on Alex's chest. His black hair had fallen halfway out of a ponytail so it curled around his face. Alex was holding Frankie on his hip, who was wet and completely naked, save for a pile of bubbles on top of her head, dripping down her cheeks, and more bubbles covering her arms. Alex's eyes were wide and his cheeks were red like he was out of breath. Thomas took in his appearance and remained silent, waiting for an explanation.

"She was taking a bubble bath. When I tried to get the door, she chased me down the hallway." Alex panted. Frankie turned to look at Thomas and grinned.

"Hi, Papa. Take a bath?"

Thomas looked Alexander up and down one more time, soaking in his disheveled appearance. He never looked more like a father than he did when Frankie was being a pain. Wow, Thomas thought, I get to see him like this every day for the rest of my life. Thomas' heart pounded and his knees suddenly felt weak. He realized he was still standing on the front porch, Alex staring at him with those doe eyes, thinking he was going to get chewed out for letting Frankie make a mess. Instead, Thomas blurted out the next thought in his mind.

"I'm in love with you." Alex blinked and Thomas blinked right back. "I mean that." Thomas said, more decidedly now that his confession was out in the air and there was no taking it back, but why would he want to take it back, with Alexander standing in front of him, holding Thomas' daughter and wearing Thomas' clothes and living in Thomas' house? This, Thomas realized while his pulse raced in his ears, would be his husband someday. Thomas' husband. Thomas grinned and stepped inside, using one hand to close the door behind him. Alex took a small step back, still looking like a deer caught in the headlights, then his face softened into a smile that could make flowers grow.

"I'm in love with you, too. But just because you make beautiful kids." Alex taunted, smiling so wide that Thomas could barely kiss him. Then, Frankie pulled Thomas' hair and the moment was over. They dug out as many old towels as they could find and cleaned the pool of water in the hallway as a family. Thomas laid Frankie down between him and Alex that night and she didn't wake up until the morning.

Thomas reminisced on the memory while sitting on a bench at the playground, watching Frankie play while Alex pushed Charles in the baby swing. They decided to take a family walk after lunch and just enjoy the day. Even though it was March, the weather was beautiful. Trees were already blooming with new life and the sun provided warmth from behind scattered clouds. Thomas scoped out the park, which was quiet despite the fact that it was Saturday, and found his spot. There was a white gazebo on a hill a little ways away that looked over a manmade pond. If he could convince Alex to take Frankie and Charles over there... Thomas stood up and reached in his pocket.

Frankie and Charles were flushed and sweaty from playing by the time the four of them made it to the gazebo. Frankie had a fistful of yellow flowers that she kept shoving in Alex's face even after he reminded her of his allergies. The way Alex could be so patient with Frankie was one of the things Thomas admired about him. Thomas kicked at Frankie's leg and nodded at Alex, giving her the signal that she should take Charles. She got the hint and approached her Dad then reached for the baby. Alex handed him over easily, he was distracted by the sunlight glinting off the water in the distance. Thomas sidled up behind Alex and reached in his pocket. He wrapped one arm around Alexander's waist and slipped the letter into his hand.

"This is for you." Thomas whispered. He used his body to keep Alex at the edge of the gazebo while Alex ripped the envelope open and began to read. Thomas rested his chin on Alexander's shoulder and watched his from the corner of his eye as Alex's gaze traveled down the page. Alex's eyes were already watering by the time he got halfway done reading. Thomas could tell when he was done reading because Alexander's gaze went back to the top of the page out of habit - he always read letters twice automatically. Thomas stepped back suddenly, took three more steps back for good measure, and dropped to one knee before Alex had a chance to react.

Alex turned around. His hand flew over his mouth when he saw Thomas on the ground. Thomas vaguely registered Frankie standing off to the side with Charles squirming in her arms.

Thomas grinned and reached in his pocket.

He pulled out a little black box and popped the lid open before holding it out to Alexander. Alex immediately stepped forward and moved both hands to hug his stomach. His lips were red and swollen already and his cheeks were pink. Tears stuck to his dark eyelashes and rolled down his cheeks. Thomas swore he got more beautiful every day.

"Alexander Hamilton." Thomas started. Alex choked out a disbelieving laugh. "I have never loved anybody the way I love you. There's nobody else in this world I would rather raise a family with. I want to love you," Thomas paused to sniff, "every day for the rest of my life." His voice broke on the last word and he ducked his head to wipe his cheek on his shoulder. Alexander took another step forward, the intensity of his eyes on Thomas' was almost unbearable.

"Will you marry me?"

Alex laughed again and Thomas loved the sound of his happiness.

"Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" Alexander's voice got louder in volume and he threw himself forward just as Thomas stood up. They collided in the middle, with Thomas throwing his arms around Alexander's shoulder's and Alex wrapping his arms around Thomas' waist. Alex sobbed into his chest as Thomas rocked them back and forth, whispering sweet nothings into his hair. When Thomas pulled back and grabbed Alexander's hand to put the ring on his finger, his whispers turned into a mantra of "iloveyouiloveyouiloveyou", which Alex quickly cut off with a kiss. Thomas wound an arm around Alex's waist and stood steady as Alex's legs gave out from under him. It was effortless to hold Alex upright, especially after years of lugging babies around. They broke apart, gasping for air, and Thomas tuned into the sound of Frankie cheering.

"Yay! Time to get married!" She cried over Charles' whining. "Now, can one of you take this baby so I can relax?" Alex giggled and Thomas laughed breathlessly, staring at Alexander's face through half lidded eyes. After another second, Thomas let him go reluctantly and took Charles from Frankie. Frankie wasn't done, yet, however.

"Family hug!" She screamed, launching herself at Alex. Luckily, Alex was prepared for this kind of random attack after being a dad for so long, so he reached out and caught Frankie, who was half his size already. Thomas smiled at the interaction and bounced Charles so he would stop fussing. Frankie stretched her arms out and waited until Thomas stepped into her embrace. Thomas used his free arm to wrap around Alex and complete their family hug. Frankie kissed Charles' cheek, even though he was red and sweaty and making annoying baby noises, and Thomas met Alexander's eye over the top of the kids' heads. They shared a teary-eyed smile. Thomas couldn't wait until the day they got married.

**Author's Note:**

> RT IF YOU LOVE THOMAS BEING A SOFT SAPPY GUY
> 
> ill probably write part two over the weekend and possibly upload it monday but we'll see
> 
> thanks for reading!!!


End file.
